RM Sotheby’s New York City 2015 – Auction Report

Lot # 218 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring Coupe; S/N 9113601018; Engine # 6630992; Signal Yellow, Black Carrera/Black vinyl, corduroy; Estimate $900,000 – $1,100,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $835,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $918,500. With Reserve. Air conditioning, Becker Mexico cassette, Fuchs wheels, Pirelli tires, sliding sunroof, headrest seats, manual, tools, jack, spare, valet key. – Excellent new paint, interior and bright trim. Even the anodized side window moldings are flawless. Spotless engine compartment just like it came out of the factory. A professional restoration to the highest standards by Gunnar Racing. – It is hard to imagine that there is a better one out there, having scored 296.7 of 300 points in 2008 PCA judging and being impeccably maintained since. The price is fully deserved.

Lot # 219 2003 Ferrari Enzo Coupe; S/N ZFFCW56A130135440; Engine # 79706; Red/Black leather; Estimate $3,000,000 – $3,500,000; Unrestored original, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $3,000,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $3,300,000. With Reserve. Assembly # 52427. – 560 miles and two owners from new. Scheduled 5,000 mile service done earlier this year. – This is a blinding price for an Enzo, even with so few miles. Its second owner was boxer Floyd Mayweather, but he’s not the Pope, nor even half-a-Pope, to account for the price it brought.

Lot # 220 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Roadster; S/N 1880156500069; Engine # 19998006500071; Dark Blue/Tan leather; Blue cloth top; Estimate $1,200,000 – $1,400,000; Older restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $975,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,072,500. With Reserve. Bosch Euro headlights and fog lights, chrome wheels, wide whitewalls, fitted luggage, Becker Mexico AM-FM. – An older restoration by Charles Brahms that has been meticulously maintained and preserved. Excellent paint, chrome, interior woodwork, upholstery and trim. – This is a million-dollar car, bought for a million-dollar price. The consignor may have hoped for a bit more in the image-conscious New York City market, but took real money for a real car.

Lot # 221 1956 Ferrari 290 MM Sports Racer, Body by Scaglietti; S/N 0626; Engine # 0626; Red, Blue, yellow nose band/Tan cord; Estimate $28,000,000 – $32,000,000; Competition restoration, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $25,500,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $28,050,000. With Reserve. RHD. Driver’s head fairing, passenger’s metal tonneau cover, single aeroscreen, silver painted wire wheels, covered Marchal headlights. Ferrari Classiche certified. – Built by Ferrari for Fangio to driven in the 1956 Mille Miglia where he was 4th overall in a solo drive. Later driven by Phil Hill, Masten Gregory, Luigi Musso, Eugenio Castellotti, Alfonso de Portago, Olivier Gendebien, Wolfgang von Trips, Joakim Bonnier, Peter Collins, Paul O’Shea and Manfredo Lippman, a drivers’ list perhaps never equaled by any car, but only once a winner, at Buenos Aires in 1957 with Gregory/Musso/Castellotti. Later part of the Bardinon collection. Very good paint and upholstery, orderly and little used under the car with a little road dirt accumulation. Engine compartment and chassis are like new. Done like it should be, carefully used and conscientiously maintained. – Displayed by RM|Sotheby’s in its own crypt with looping video and sound and a wall of honor with many of its nearly peerless pantheon of drivers, this Ferrari is an interesting challenge. No matter its competition history it is one of Ferrari’s greats with a huge 3.5 liter Lampredi-based, Jano-refined V12. But it never won anything of consequence beyond Buenos Aires, despite legendary pilots. Widely reported as being offered for some time with a breathtaking asking price it sold here at a moderate, reasonable price and can be considered a sound value for its specifications, history and condition.

Lot # 222 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ‘Roy Rogers’ Nudie Mobile Convertible; S/N 863S02964; White/Saddle leather; White vinyl top; Estimate $250,000 – $350,000; Original, with non-original appearance items, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $280,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $308,000. With Reserve. 389/303hp, automatic, power steering, power brakes, 8-lug wheels, narrow whitewalls. – Elaborately decorated by Nudie Cohn with silver dollars, a silver-mounted saddle on the transmission tunnel, tooled leather upholstery, six gun handles, longhorns in front, Winchester rifles on the rear quarters and more. Tonneau cover signed by Nudie’s clients including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Later part of the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans museum and used by them for parades and promotions. Chipped and dull old paint. Good upholstery under clear plastic seat covers. Original underbody. Scuffed window trim. A piece of cowboy art on a big, largely original Bonneville. – Surprisingly popular among the New York bidders for a car more appropriate to Branson or Texas than the Big Apple. Maybe the Wall Street types counted the silver dollars and valued it as a hedge on the silver market; as such it might be a surprisingly good investment but it is even better as a traffic-stopper.

Lot # 223 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing ‘Sportabteilung’; S/N 1980405500640; Engine # 1989805500659; Silver/Red leather, plaid cloth; Estimate $5,000,000 – $7,000,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $4,200,000. With Reserve. Rudge wheels, Michelin XVS tires, hinged steering wheel, no belly pans, Hella halogen headlights, Marchal fog lights. – One of four Gullwings prepared and modified for competition by the M-B Sportabteilung department, one of two known survivors. No known factory racing history but driven by Stirling Moss with Georges Houel as co-driver in the 1956 Tour de France Auto, finishing second overall, and later by Houel in France, then dormant for many years. Belly pan (hanging on the wall) signed by Moss. Good recent repaint, scuffed old bumper chrome, fair interior with sloppy fits. Polished aluminum intake plenum and runners. Repainted engine compartment with dusty corners. Old undercoat in wheelwells. A sound and usable driver. – The catalog remarks on the ‘Sportagbteilung’ Gullwings’ record as a ‘little-known chapter’ and that goes a long way to explaining the difference between the bidders’ opinion of its value and the consignor’s expectations. This is a car that should have made a number of appearances in historic events and concours (despite the mediocrity of its cosmetic restoration) to help build recognition of its history before bringing it into the market. Now it’s been exposed and declined by the buyers.

Lot # 224 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Sports Racer, Body by Scaglietti; S/N 0424MD(0564MD); Engine # 0424MD; Light Blue/Blue vinyl, Beige stripes; Estimate $5,000,000 – $7,000,000; Competition restoration, 3+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $4,450,000. With Reserve. RHD. Driver’s head fairing, single wraparound driver’s windscreen, metal cover over the passenger’s seat, silver painted Borrani RW3102 wire wheels, Marchal head and fog lights. – Built as 0564MD but stamped 0424MD to avoid tax. Indifferent results in only two period events, then returned to Ferrari where it sat until 1975 then passed through several hands and used in many historic events. Stripped of Ferrari’s hasty coat of red and put back to doing what it does best, running the Mille Miglia Storica in 2009 and 2011. Engine freshly rebuilt by Hall & Hall. Buffed through, touched up and clearcoated old paint. Cracked and stiff but complete old upholstery. New wheels and new old style Michelin Pilote X tires. Orderly but aged chassis, interior and engine. An impressive example of how to preserve but still use an old race car. – While the originality of this Mondial is exceptional the lack of any significant in-period racing history is a challenge. The reported high bid here reflects a generous premium for originality and it is likely that a bid more could have seen it change hands. Unfortunately, the bid didn’t emerge and the car will have to try again, but it is a rare opportunity to get a marvelous early 4-cylinder Ferrari sports-racer.